C-ray: awesome use of layering your voice, very trippy and fun to listen to.

havarti on rye: you are way better at the EDM than I... however this song doent really feel like it goes anywhere, just around in circles. maybe some more breaks in the beat or something.

r. mosquito: the feedback at the begining was a little jarring, but the rest of the song is pretty amazing. i like your voice, you sound like robert smith.

grill shots: this is quite a bit like genius. rap about grilling meat.. perfect.

hillbilly: some of your guitar tracks dont quite match up, but all in all its a nice little southern rock ballad.

brad plaid band: the only gripe i have with this is the drums, they need more fills... other than that it is very very good.

the ghost within: by far the best music in this fight, they vocals could use some tightening up though. it sounds like you arent projecting very well, really push those words out harder. also i wish you were screaming a little bit, rather than growling. really fricking good song though. if you are ever interested in a collab, let me know, id love to have a go at some vocals for you.

jeebas jones: this feels like a raffi song, with adult themes... maybe like a pg-13 raffi. interesting.

m. rnakazawas book of surprises: i always love niv's lyrics... i dont quite understand the music, its strangely fitting, but really off, and really odd/out of tune... i dont know why i like it. it sounds like the noise on a mars volta album that is between songs, and that may make it more endearing to me.

paco del stinko: once again, awesome surf punk from mr. del stinko. well performed, and arranged. the transitions are tight, and the vocals pulled of well... furthermore it is mixed amazingly, and everything sounds as loud as it should... a problem i have.

my social uniform: this almost has a eurythmics feel to it. i dont think the slight distortion on the voice is necessary, but when the beat destruction comes in i can see why you put it in there... i might try it without and see if it still fits. i really like the music, especially when it breaks out.

hip hop annonymous: the robot voice effect during the hook personally annoys me, but it fits. i really like your lyrics, but the flow was a little generic. i liked the song, but nothing really makes it stand out ahead of other rap songs out there.

fitzroy: mine. obviously the vocals are too loud, and the drums are too quiet. i was going for the replacements meet sex bob-omb. i slammed as much distortion on my acoustic guitar that i could and just went to town.

jon eric: when is the rest of the rock opera coming? when i listen to this, all i can think of is "forgetting sarah marshall" when he wrote the vampire rock opera.... i just see a puppet vampire singing this song in my head, and it makes me laugh at an obviously sad song.

King Arthur out of retirement?! I picked a good fight to come out swinging for.

Full reviews to come later today.

Oh, and Alex: I actually haven't seen that movie, but you're not the first person to suggest my songs should be sung by puppets. I'm really not sure what to make of that.... Thanks for the review and the vote!

SInce I don't want the tune to be a complete waste of time, i would appreciate any feedback you guys could give me. Its the aspect I like the most about this place. This was song was a breached birth. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I salvaged what I could. I gonna keep this riff as something to maybe work on, and develop the tune quite a bit further. Cheers guys http://soundcloud.com/jake-delorey/its-about-time.

PS. This was another collaboration with TRJones/Jeebus Jones/fruitcup?He threw in the tasty guitar solo. Hats off to Mr.Jones for that gem

Reviews, part 1. Written as I listened between calls during an overtime shift at work.More to come later.

Jeebas JonesThis song knows where it's going and how to get there, right out of the gate. The guitars establish the mood perfectly. I think the electric lead is a bit out of tune… but it also sounds like it gets more out of tune as the conflict in the lyrics increases, so maybe that was an intentional choice? I'm also not crazy about the vocal effect on that female singer. Sounds like she was recorded on a different computer in a crappier room, and you had to resort to some studio trickery to keep her from sounding too awful—but you just wound up with a different kind of awful. The end result is a mostly good song with a couple of missteps, and it's not really my cup of tea overall.

Hip Hop AnonymousThe beat is a really well-constructed. I like the voice in the background that sounds a little like GLaDOS. The hook is well-executed and falls in the right places. The rapping is inoffensive, but nothing about it stood out to me as particularly great, either. Future listens may prove me wrong. Solid effort.

Caravan RayExcellent experiment in layering harmonies. I like the wordplay in "It's about time to about face." The lead vocal drowning in reverb gives this whole entry a dreamy feel. It's impressive how your voice in two different registers can sound so different. The one problem is that lyrically it never moves too far beyond its one premise. That's okay, it's only two minutes.

Mr. Nakazawa's Book of SurprisesI think the two of you are tuned to two different standards. Everything on Niveous' side sounds out of tune with everything on Denise's side. I like these lyrics—among other things, it's a different take on the title from the other entries I've heard so far—but the discord is a bit too much to take, and it keeps me at arm's length. Though "Rode horses with Catherine" got a giggle out of me, at least.

Grill ShotsScratchity scritchy itchy itch tch. Well done with the turntable and the rapping, but I'm really not sure how "It's About Time" connects to your chosen theme of barbecue. Maybe you misunderstood the concept of Song Fight? But you did include "It's About Time," so I'm just confused. Ah well, you're not the first group to ever use the Song Fight title as a transparent jumping-off point to whatever it was you actually wanted to write about. One of those rappers sounds a little bit like MC Paul Barman but with better flow.

Jon EricMan, that drum track was difficult. When it comes in, I want it to be punchier, but then later it makes the vocals nearly inaudible. Maybe I should have done an automation sweep on the volume… But I guess the real problem is somehow EQ related. Anyway, I was proud of large portions of this: the piano solo, the lyrics, the pacing and execution… I hope y'all like it too.

King ArthurTen years you've been taking the slot right after me, alphabetically speaking. Ten years you've been making me look quite foolish. Your chorus is spectacular, the drum programming top-notch, and the performance overall very tight. That silky lead guitar part is a nice complement to the shuffling beat. This sounds like a real band. I like the chord progression in the bridge. Another just-left-of-center interpretation of the title, too. Welcome back!

Brad Plaid BandIs that a play on Brad Paisley? Hmm, maybe not; from the sound of this, you might not have ever heard that name before. Anyway… To call these lyrics unsubtle is an understatement. I just wish you could have gotten those guitars to sound like a monstrous aural assault they're trying to be. The vocals overpower them by so much in the mix that it sounds like you're singing karaoke. At least the song is short enough that I don’t get bored with it.

My Social UniformFrom within the first few seconds, I can tell that I've got some major genre bias at play here, so don't be offended that this doesn't do much for me. This is silky-smooth and well-executed right up until the dubstep breakdown, at which point it gets really gritty all of a sudden. Basically, it goes from a genre that I don't care for, straight into a genre that I actually despise. I don't know, man, I just don't get this whole electronic indiepop genre, and I get Dubstep even less. This reminds me a little bit of that Alex Clare song from the Microsoft commercial, and I really hate that song, but it's made him a rich man, so I'm probably just not your target audience.

hillbillyI'm still not convinced that you're not actually someone else from the boards recording and posting under a pseudonym, but whatever. I like this pensive, laid-back brand of country folk. I'd like it if the vocals were better integrated into the song (they kind of get lost amid that guitar), but it's hard to argue with this, otherwise. Good job.

R. MosquitoBeen a long time since I've heard a solo track from reve. You've got your post-punk groove going on big time here! I love the guitar work here—just the right balance of noise and melody. You crammed a lot of lyrics into two minutes, and that does get in the way of the song's catchiness, so it'll probably take me multiple listens before I can remember portions of this song when I'm not actively listening to.

Last edited by Generic on Sat Jul 20, 2013 11:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Hey Fight-Pals!! First, let me apologize for not reviewing the last couple fights I entered, wow. I am a bad person and I beg your oversight if not forgiveness. I did listen and vote though!

My review are brief, personal reactions, right? I assume that you're an adult (or mature adolescent) and you are aware of the ways in which your song: a) is awesome and b) sucks. Because all our songs have a spoonful of each, right? If you genuinely don't know what you did well and what you did poorly (and can't glean it from others' reactions), I'd be happy to post a more comprehensive review for the purposes of personal growth.

(Also, thanks for being kind to my rushed Friday night SongFight. Didn't quite get as far as I planned, but hey. As you can imagine, I was trying to run that 80's pop-goth sound/content through my own filter.)

Plaid, B. et al. -That actually fairly rad (and the perfect length for what you). I don't know, if like, Rage Against the Machine played it if it'd still work. But as it, it works. Vote.

Caravan Ray - This was quite pretty. Circa 1986 my friend Jeff got a copy of Phil Collins' Face Value and I thought it was like, the awesomeist. If this came out in the same era you would have kicked Phil Collins' bald ass. (Second listen: I think your use of the phrase "about face" along with the minimal electronic drums and the "you know I'm right" repetitions made me recall Phil.) Vote.

Fitz Roy - I would totally buy this early-90s Screeching Weasel record. I didn't know that's what one got when you crossed the replacements with sex bob-omb, but temporally it makes sense I guess. It'd be double awesome when they played it faster live! I even grabbed the bass and played along with this for multiple listens, that's how much it moved me. Clear Vote.

GHOST WITHIN -If you want to start a black metal band and put out a single, PM me. Seriously. Vote.

Grill Shots - Well, I commend your dedication to the old school. It didn't really work for me, but I think you achieved your goal.

Havarti -You had the timerity to drop Gilligan on us? Interestingly, I've been thinking a lot about the twin failed brands of Adam Ant and Star Wars, so this resonated for me. But I think I don't fully comprehend your art.

Hillbilly - This was also awesome. I'm listening on headphones so the hard panned vocals were a bit jarring. Vote.

HHA -Now, as an analog synthesizer connnesour, I had a problem with your synth sound. But your flow(s) were pretty unstoppable. Vote.

Jake Delorey - I'm trying to peg your drum sound but not succeeding. What are you using? I think you got what you were going for, so right on for you.

Jones, TR. - I think you could have tightened this up, structure wise. Did you pitch shift yourself up to do the lady part? The weird modulation makes you sound as if you did.

Eric, J. -Serendipitously, I bought Gin for the first time about half a week ago. (PS: Yes, I miss my better half. If you didn't know, Ujn recently got married and has been otherwise occupied. He and I did release a new 2-track of new, non-SF material a couple weeks ago, though. Feel free to check it at http://photovoltaik.bandcamp.com/album/shape-form/ ) Your piano sound is beautiful. What are you using now? I was waiting for the drop at 1:07ish. Anyway, Warren Zevon would be proud. Vote.

HIS MAGESTY KING ARTHUR -It's weird... your intonation on the word "sometimes" is surprisingly similar to that of Sheep on Drugs' in their classic recording "A to H." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IZpQvda9OA. Lemme know if you agree or disagree!

Niv Nakazawa - A 96k mp3 did not do this justice!! Bring up those chimes! Oh my god this is awesome but the encoding artifacts are killing me!! Please, please, please, please, please give us a higher resolution version. Seriously, this was my favorite track this week. Vote.

My Social Uniform - Well you made me go back and listen to your other song, so good for you. At first I wasn't so fond of the wobbly dubstep / triplety drop at 1:15 or so, and I was like this better be foreshadowing of an awesome drop. Luckily it was! You could tighten this up by cutting 30+ seconds, though. Vote.

Paco - You are a scientist. This is science. It continues to boggle my mind how you can put out such consistent quality fight after fight year after year. Literally boggles.

Cheers everyone on your great work! I am perpetually impressed at the innovation and awesomeness that comes out of this community.

I return to songfight for the first time since 2009 (I think). Now that university is done with, I can concentrate on the important things in life, like writing songs...

Fitzroy, thanks for the vote, man I know my heavy vocals need work, they have done for ages and I am trying to sort it. As for the growling, its my first proper attempt at any sort of scream-style vocals, I just felt that the track needed something with a bit more attitude than my singing. i'm always up for a collab, although i'm not too sure how to go about it.

R. Mosquito/Reve, thanks for the vote also I don't really listen to much black metal, Dimmu Borgir is about as heavy as I go these days, and even thats an occasional thing. I'd be up for giving it a go though, if you had an idea of what you wanted.

Ok, so here are my reviews. This songfight was awesome, what a good one to come back to. I am going to try my best to make this a regular thing, lets hope...

1. Paco Del StinkoNice track man, bits of this are almost dead-kennedysesque, with a slightly more dramatic voice, it has a good swing to it. The production is real sharp too, which is always nice to hear. Neat solo too,and i love the 'eeergh' at the end. If I had to suggest something to improve, I think it would be cool to hear some backing vocals in certain points of the song. But maybe thats just me! Vote

2.FitzroyCool track man, is that real drums I hear on this track? Sounds good anyway. I like the punk-style vocals, reminds me of Green Day before all that 21st century breakdown nonsense. This track would have sounded so neat with vocal harmonies though man, its definitely the right style for it. I saw in your comments that the guitar is an acoustic with distortion? Thats a cool touch man,gives it an interesting tone.

(I think i might be obsessed with vocal harmonies or something )vote.

3.The Ghost within (Me)I won't review my own track! It was a lot of fun to write and record, but that by no means makes it a good track...

4.Mr. Nakazawa's Book of SurprisesMan, this is trippy. Trippy trippy trippy. But I like it. Cool lyrics, and slightly spaced out acoustic guitar work really well together. From a production point of view, I think your vocals could do with some reverb on them, not too much but just enough to give it that really wide-out feel.

5. HillbillyMade me laugh that in itunes it came up as 'Thinking of Your Mamma'. You got a nice voice man, nice acoustic rock/blues. nice harmonies and cool slides over the top. This track really works.vote

6. Harvarti on Ryenice deep kick drum, and cool production/mixing. It sounds like something you might hear in a club around midnight. Cool bassline further in too. There are some cool sounds going on here.

7.R. Mosquito I like the feel of this track man, It sounds sort of Sisters of Mercy like, really cool. All that reverby, feedbacky guitar really works, and the end is really cool. If I could reccomend one thing, i'd say try making the kick and snare just a little more punchy through the mix (the kick especially). But thats just if i'm trying to pick something out, I really dig this track, I have a feeling this will be on my ipod playlist for some time to come.Vote

8. Grill ShotsNice track, funky backing, and nicely written. The lyrics made me laugh (in a good way), and the production is good too. Not too much more to say than that really.

9. King ArthurCool track, feels quite mellow. I like your vocals and flowing guitar riffs. The drums are cool and nicely programmed, but it sounds a little bit like they are clipping in the mix at points? Apart from that, the mixing is great, the bass feels wide and powerful, the vocals are clear in the mix, and the guitars have a good amount of presence.

10. Jeebas JonesThe track has a nice flow, with the acoustic guitar providing the rhythm as well as the melody. I think perhaps a little reverb on the electric guitar might have sounded nice? You have a cool voice, it reminds me of somebody but I can't think of who it is...

11. Brad Plaid BandCool man, wasn't expecting this style of music from this name! Its good though, very early 2000s nu-metal. The riff is very murderdolls, too, which is cool. In terms of mixing, I think the cymbals need to come up closer to the level of the kick and snare, they are almost drowned out.

12. My Social UniformOoh, trancey start! This track works really well, it sounds quite 80s, until it hits the dubstep, which comes in really nicely, and isn't overdone, which is a nice change from how dubstep usually goes. Nice piano section too. Vote

13. Jon EricI like the keys, nicely played man. The lyrics are well-written too. The drums work nicely in this style, a little reminiscent of David Ford. Could have perhaps added some guitar to the mix somewhere? It just might have pushed this track right up there. But thats nitpicking, its a great track. Vote

14. Hip Hop AnonynmousAhh, now here is a genre I don't really listen to much, so it may be hard for me to say anything useful. The track sounds well produced, and the vocals have a good flow. The melodies are pretty awesome and honestly, this track sounds like it could have been on a commerical album in the shops. Nice one.

15. Caravan RayCool layering of vocals, the kick drum has good punch, and the tune is catchy. I wouldn't be surpised to find myself humming sections of this today.

-- -- --

Late Tracks

Jake DeLoreyCool riff, it has a very white stripes feel to it, combined with the Atomic Bitchwax. The vocals are very southern rock too. I love that solo man. Awesome. [This would have had a vote if it wasn't late, dude]KlownholeCool man, the intro is very horror film. That albumart picture is glorious, by the way. I like the doom rock feel to this track. Your vocals really suit the style.

If these reviews seem a bit odd, they are being written at midnight here in england (and also early in the morning the next day) after a long day of hammering holes into the ground helping people set up a stage in the hot sun. So, you know, i'm not entirely all there...

Seriously though, well done to everyone involved, all these tracks were awesome in their own way and I enjoyed listening to what everyone came up with.

Peace,Jamie/The Ghost Within.

(Maximum smilies four? What is this, how will I punctuate my reviews now!!!)

reve wrote:Caravan Ray - This was quite pretty. Circa 1986 my friend Jeff got a copy of Phil Collins' Face Value and I thought it was like, the awesomeist. If this came out in the same era you would have kicked Phil Collins' bald ass. (Second listen: I think your use of the phrase "about face" along with the minimal electronic drums and the "you know I'm right" repetitions made me recall Phil.) Vote.

I thank you for your vote and kind words Sir.

But.

If you EVER talk about me in the same sentence as Phil Collins again EVER and say I make you recall him - well....let's just say that your testicles and my garlic crusher will be due for a meeting.

reve wrote:Fitz Roy - I would totally buy this early-90s Screeching Weasel record... It'd be double awesome when they played it faster live... I even grabbed the bass and played along with this for multiple listens, that's how much it moved me. Clear Vote.

Thank you for the kind words, the vote, and I'm glad it moved you enough to play along! Screeching weasel rules, and I can totally see the similarities, I will work on playing it faster

TheGhostWithin wrote:2.Fitzroyis that real drums I hear on this track?... I like the punk-style vocals, reminds me of Green Day before all that 21st century breakdown nonsense. This track would have sounded so neat with vocal harmonies though man... I saw in your comments that the guitar is an acoustic with distortion?

Yes they are real drums, a little cut and pasted up, but a real recording none the less. I was really really into the "1039 smoothed out slappy hours" album by green day, it was their first full length, and really showed their bay area roots... They even covered op ivy... I still really love early 90s punk. I suck at vocal harmonies, unfortunately, it's just something I have to accept. And finally yes, it is an acoustic guitar , and a crappy crappy acoustic guitar at that. I plugged it into a really cheap 50w amp with all the nobs at 11, and all the buttons pushed. I then barricaded the microphone in front of that sucker with about 15 pillows because it was still picking up my ridiculously heavy strumming. Thanks for the review!

[edited twice for typos]

Last edited by BBABM on Sun Jul 21, 2013 9:11 am, edited 2 times in total.

reve wrote:Eric, J. -Serendipitously, I bought Gin for the first time about half a week ago. (PS: Yes, I miss my better half. If you didn't know, Ujn recently got married and has been otherwise occupied. He and I did release a new 2-track of new, non-SF material a couple weeks ago, though. Feel free to check it at http://photovoltaik.bandcamp.com/album/shape-form/ ) Your piano sound is beautiful. What are you using now? I was waiting for the drop at 1:07ish. Anyway, Warren Zevon would be proud. Vote.

Thank you very much! I think I've got a new quote for my signature!

To answer your question... For the piano, I'm using a Roland HP-101. It's got stereo phone output, so I just run two cables straight from that to my audio interface (Lexicon Lambda). It works especially well for guy-and-piano recordings or Youtube videos. When I'm recording "full band" songs, I wind up applying a couple of layers of reverb to keep it from sounding like it was recorded in a completely different room from everything else. BLT was giving me a lot of grief about this for a while; I wonder what he thinks of this recording?

When you said you were waiting for the drop at 1:07, does that mean I was too predictable, or that it was satisfying when the drums kicked in?

TheGhostWithin wrote:13. Jon EricI like the keys, nicely played man. The lyrics are well-written too. The drums work nicely in this style, a little reminiscent of David Ford. Could have perhaps added some guitar to the mix somewhere? It just might have pushed this track right up there. But thats nitpicking, its a great track. Vote

Man, you really nailed it. I wanted to include some guitar on this song, but I haven't been able to play any stringed instrument for over six months. Last New Year, I had a kitchen accident, knifed a hole in my left palm, and cut the nerve that runs to my index and middle fingers. Picking up the piano again has been reasonably successful because I can just play well-timed block chords or arpeggiations on my left hand that avoid the problem fingers, and people tend to not notice, but when trying to play guitar, the pain in my fingertips is excruciating.

Anyway, by the time I knew that this song wanted a guitar track, it was like 12 hours before the deadline, so I didn't feel like putting that kind of pressure on someone. The doctor says my fingers should start feeling like themselves soon enough, at which point I'll begin the arduous process of re-teaching myself the guitar. Ahhh...

Generic wrote:When I'm recording "full band" songs, I wind up applying a couple of layers of reverb to keep it from sounding like it was recorded in a completely different room from everything else. BLT was giving me a lot of grief about this for a while; I wonder what he thinks of this recording?

I think it's absolutely perfect, right down to the pad in the back creating a wonderful atmosphere. You finally got the clue. Good job jo-nair.

Generic wrote:When I'm recording "full band" songs, I wind up applying a couple of layers of reverb to keep it from sounding like it was recorded in a completely different room from everything else. BLT was giving me a lot of grief about this for a while; I wonder what he thinks of this recording?

I think it's absolutely perfect, right down to the pad in the back creating a wonderful atmosphere. You finally got the clue. Good job jo-nair.

Thanks, Chris! I applied a lot of different tweaks to my mixing process this year (mostly trial-by-fire during Nur Ein), and the single most important one seems to have been learning to apply a small amount of mastering reverb.

BBABM wrote:havarti on rye: you are way better at the EDM than I... however this song doent really feel like it goes anywhere, just around in circles. maybe some more breaks in the beat or something.

Yeah, the idea hadn't really been successfully integrated - but I really love the stupidity of the samples, could have really brought it together for a nice ending. I went to bed early Friday.. well, started working on the song for an ending. My cat, large sized and proportionally manipulative, but in this case what he did was purposeful - lain across the keyboard and samples suddenly disappeared the screen blittered a couple command windows and the ending that took me around 90 minutes to conjugate was stepped-upon and mindlessly killed.. by love. He likes to romp outside until the last minute and it wasn't fair that I was up "doing stuff" while he had to come in early. He's right, I let him out and went to bed. Plus, it's an acid track and they tend to fractalize with regularity, this one just sits and spins.:]

reve wrote:Havarti -You had the timerity to drop Gilligan on us? Interestingly, I've been thinking a lot about the twin failed brands of Adam Ant and Star Wars, so this resonated for me. But I think I don't fully comprehend your art.

That is the most impressive review I've ever had. I'm stunned, thank you. It's experimenting with Reason, I'm bumbling and futzling for the seriousness in humor. How do say in Japanese "Here are your panties"?:]

TheGhostWithin wrote:6. Harvarti on Ryenice deep kick drum, and cool production/mixing. It sounds like something you might hear in a club around midnight. Cool bassline further in too. There are some cool sounds going on here.

Smothered in gravy, drowning in it in fact, like a bathtub filled to the brim with gravy just waiting there for you. All warm and turkeyish a bath made for mashed potatoes, stuffings and breads, and let us not forget the vegetables and other things, for even other gravies can all benefit from basking further within even more gravy. A limitless universe of gravy! It's fun to write about this with you. Online with you! Thanks, it could be stripped down or even mixed properly, but we both know that isn't going to happen, I'll just manufacture something with painful frequencies over anti-heterosexual propaganda. Much love!

Reviews after lawn! And bath! And libation! WORSHIP THE SUN DAY slathered in spf n'whatnot. Sorry, if hurting you brings you into my unknowing logic cult n'shit. Knowing you is half my battle, the rest is meaningless.:]

"The toot of a flute with the flavour of fruit!" - Caractacus Potts, 1968

I'm still not convinced that you're not actually someone else from the boards recording and posting under a pseudonym[quote][/quote] Eric nice to meet you, james in North Carolina, nice keys, enjoyed that entry.